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When cigarette prices drop, young people are more likely to pick up the smoking habit, according to a Canadian study of adults age 20 to 24.

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Obesity is under-diagnosed in people with diabetes overall and especially in African-Americans, even though both conditions are more prevalent in African-Americans than whites, a new study finds.

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While the average age for starting to drink has remained at 13 to 14 over recent decades, the proportion of young people imbibing at early ages has dropped, a new study shows.

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Lowering blood pressure does not appear to prevent cognitive or dementia-related disorders, a desired effect in light of the large number of elderly adults who suffer from both cognitive impairment and hypertension.

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Two treatment methods for asthma attacks "” spacers and nebulizers "” are equally effective in staving off hospital admissions, a new review shows. However, at least for children, spacers mean shorter stays in emergency departments.

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Forget the cliché of the successful but overstressed executive "” lower, not higher, socioeconomic status is associated with increased levels of stress hormones in the body.

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A new review of evidence suggests that a "stepped-up" care approach can lower blood pressure for patients who haven't achieved good control of their hypertension.

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An analysis of varicose vein treatments common in the United Kingdom found that the therapies improve patients' quality of life and are a good investment of health resources.

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Dentists and physicians who take advantage of routine checkups to screen their high-risk patients for oral cancer may be the most cost-effective guard against the disease, at least in the United Kingdom.

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Low-income, immigrant, primary-care patients in New York City continued to suffer the psychiatric effects of 9/11 long after the original terrorist attack, says a new study.

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Women who undergo a total hysterectomy, in which both the uterus and the cervix are removed, are no more likely to experience sexual difficulties or urinary or bowel problems after surgery than women who have only their uterus removed, a new review has found.

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A procedure that fills in fractured vertebrae with injected cement has not been shown to improve a person's back pain or quality of life, according to a new analysis of studies.

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The first national sampling of children in the welfare system identified those in foster care most at risk for chronic health problems "” children under the age of two and those living in small families. Latino caregivers were least likely to report their child as having a chronic condition.

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For women who experience heavy periods, surgery is more effective than oral or intrauterine medication in reducing volume of bleeding at one year, according to a systematic review of studies.

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Antiseptic cleansing and body hair removal do not reduce surgical site infections, investigators report in two new reviews of studies of these common preoperative practices.

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Compared to people who live in detached or single-family homes, apartment dwellers experience substantially higher rates of injury, according to a new study from Wales.

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A new review of advertisements in popular U.S. magazines suggests that essential sun protection messages are reaching too few men, outdoor enthusiasts and travelers.

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People suffering from chronic lung diseases like emphysema and bronchitis are continuing to smoke despite the risks, according to a new study of more than 175,000 U.S. adults.

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A new Australian review of existing research suggests that "speed cameras" and other devices can reduce automobile accident rates by allowing authorities to detect and cite speeders as they zip down the road.

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Antibiotic therapy leads to fewer treatment failures and deaths among people suffering from moderate to severe flare-ups in lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, according to a new systematic review.

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When pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa sleep under insecticide-treated nets, they are more likely to deliver healthy babies than unprotected women, says a new review of studies.

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Personalized education messages may nudge people toward healthier habits, according to a new review of studies. The analysis found that computer-tailored health education is especially effective in helping people cut the fat in their diet and eat more fruits and vegetables.

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Routine ultrasounds show that heavy drinkers who continue to imbibe after learning they are pregnant may carry fetuses with reduced skull and brain growth compared to those of abstainers or quitters, says a new study.

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U.S. Hispanics lag behind whites in meeting key health goals established by a large, national public health initiative, a new analysis shows.

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A new analysis commissioned by the World Health Organization found that chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes are on the rise across Africa.

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Acupuncture can reduce the likelihood of vomiting 24 hours after chemotherapy, according to a new review of recent studies. The participants in all studies also took anti-vomiting medication.

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Programs for modifying environments where alcohol is served "” like bars and liquor stores "” do not help reduce alcohol-related injuries, according to a new review of controlled studies.

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Accidental overdose deaths in New Mexico caused by prescription drugs increased at a higher rate than those caused by illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine, according to a new study covering a 10-year period.

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People with arthritis don't exercise enough, and more than a third of adults with arthritis don't exercise at all, according to a new study.

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Most people won't need them "” but travelers who pull on a pair of elastic support hose before boarding a long flight can cut their risk of blood clots, according to a new review of research.

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Therapies to bolster a woman's immune system response during pregnancy do not reduce the risk of miscarriage in women who have already had multiple miscarriages, according to a new review of recent studies.

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Simple corneal abrasions do not need to be treated by patching the eye, according to a new review of studies that found patching initially slows healing and does not reduce pain.

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Fast-acting artificial insulin drugs work just as well as regular human insulin, but it's unclear how they could affect the health of people with diabetes over the long run, according to a new review of recent studies.

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A new review of recent studies suggests two popular laser-assisted surgeries to correct nearsightedness are equally effective at restoring 20/20 vision six months to a year after the surgery.

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Medication is the best, first choice to treat pain following surgery, but music may be a good complement to pain-relief drugs, according to a new review of clinical studies. Patients who listened to music after surgery reported less pain than other patients who were not exposed to music, the review found. Music also reduced the patients' need for morphine-like drugs.

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The herbal preparations devil's claw, white willow bark and cayenne plasters may be as effective as pain medication for short-term low back pain and are better than placebo, a new systematic review of studies has found.

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Despite widespread use of mouthwashes, breath mints, sprays, chewing gums and mechanical tongue cleaning, research is inconclusive about which method is most effective at attacking bad breath, investigators conclude in a new review of clinical studies.

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A popular anti-ulcer pill used around the world for inducing labor and preventing post-delivery bleeding appears to be as effective as more expensive drugs but still must be used with caution, according to an updated systematic review of studies.

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There's little question that most kids get too little calcium, but a new review of evidence casts doubt on the value of supplements and calcium-fortified foods to build stronger bones.

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Babies born to women hospitalized for alcohol-related reasons during pregnancy are smaller, have lower Apgar scores and are more likely to be admitted to a special care unit. These women have a higher number of previous pregnancies, smoke more heavily and are less likely to be privately insured.

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Flu shots do not work as well in older adults who have recently experienced the death of a family member or close friend, a new study shows. On the other hand, older adults who are happily married show stronger responses after flu shots than those who are unmarried, especially those who are widowed.

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Latino men and women get most of their daily physical activity from work and home-related tasks, rather than recreational exercise, according to a study in the current issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

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Owning a piece of clothing or other merchandise with an alcohol brand name on it may be associated with an earlier start to drinking, according to a new study. But a beer-industry representative says that the study doesn't show which comes first: teens getting branded merchandise or starting to drink.

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Incontinence is associated with nearly double the risk of depression for women with the problem than those without, according to a large Canadian study. Younger women with urinary incontinence were more likely to be depressed than older women with incontinence.

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A new study of innovative patient-safety programs found an overriding "culture of safety" that transcends the six different initiatives analyzed. The analysis offers health-system managers insight into the triumphs and challenges of colleagues who have tested initiatives to promote patient safety.

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A new review of studies found few documented attempts, but encouraging results in the effort to improve the health and medical care of patients with mental illness. An array of health interventions "” such as providing medical evaluations at a methadone clinic "” proved successful in reaching patients.

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Despite numerous studies showing that people who speak little English have less access to health care and receive poorer quality care, there is surprisingly little research on what solutions work best to overcome language barriers to care.

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People living in urban public housing have few places to get a healthy meal and less-than-ideal facilities for exercise, according to a new study done in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo.

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A new study of nearly 7,000 Chinese adolescents found that boys and girls who felt they were fat were more likely to report being overwhelmed by schoolwork and less likely to shake off sad feelings. Those feelings also held true for children who were actually normal weight or underweight.

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As a group, older women lead the ranks of too-sedentary Americans, but a new study suggests that those who are religious are also more observant about keeping active in old age.